Keene State Athletics
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – For the second consecutive day, the Keene State College women’s basketball team’s defense held an opponent to a season-low point total. However, also for a second consecutive day, they struggled on offense as they were dealt a 46-33 loss by Grinnell College (Iowa) at the McArthur Center on the campus of Eckerd College as part of the Basketball Destinations St. Pete Classic.
How it happened
Keene State rebounded from an early seven-point deficit slightly more than six minutes in to take an 11-point halftime lead (27-16) following an 18-3 second quarter, but the Owls had only two field goals in the final 20 minutes as they eventually lost by double-digits. KSC forced 24 Pioneer turnovers, including 14 in the first half to help fuel their turnaround. Out of the locker room, though, Grinnell found more offense, shooting nearly 50 percent in the final 20 minutes to post a come-from-behind win. KSC’s lead had vanished by the end of the third as the Pioneers tied the game at 33, and Grinnell then scored all 13 points to pull away in the fourth. The Pioneers’ Ava Carchidi scored 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-4 3-PT) in the second half alone. Keene State had a pair of chances initially in the fourth to retake the lead, but Aiyana Rockwell canned a three with 9:06 left and Grinnell led the rest of the way.
For the second straight day, KSC started slowly but recovered as the first half went on to stay in the game – this time taking a double-digit lead. Brynn Rautiola’s jumper at the 1:44 mark of the opening quarter made it 12-6, but turned out to be the start of a 23-4 extended run as the Owls took a 27-16 lead into the half. A three by Valerie Luizzi and layup from Rautiola in the opening minute of the second quarter put KSC up for the first time, and another trey from Luizzi at the 6:59 mark made it 17-13. Grinnell got back within one less than two minutes later, but Keene State scored the final 10 points of the half and seemed to be in control. Jackie Alibrandi connected from distance with 4:44 to go to make it 22-16, and KSC went up double-digits on an old-fashioned three-point play in the final minute of the half. Overall at the tournament, the Owls outscored their two opponents 33-14 in the second quarter.
It did not take long for Grinnell to wipe out the deficit, as they used an 11-1 push in only 3:38 to start the second quarter to get back within one. A basket by Luizzi and triple from Rautiola in the ensuing minutes helped KSC widen the gap to six again, but a long-range make and then and old-fashioned three-point play by Carolyn Pierce tied the game at 33 with 1:59 to go. The Owls’ offense was then dormant the rest of the way, finishing 12-for-68 from the field in the game and 5-for-31 from three-point range. They were also outrebounded 59-35 by the Pioneers, with Sara Booher pulling down a game-high 16 boards.
Carchidi finished with 16 points (7-12 FG, 2-7 3-PT), six rebounds, and two assists. Booher also added six points and five blocks.
Luizzi paced KSC with 10 points, but was the only Owl in double-figures. She added five steals, four rebounds, and two assists. Rautiola finished with nine points, and Lee finished with 10 rebounds, five points, and three steals.
Inside the paint
• KSC is shooting 31.8 percent shooting from the floor overall this season.
• It was the first-ever meeting between the programs. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa, 50 minutes east of Des Moines and an hour southwest of Cedar Rapids, and a member of the Midwest Conference.
• The Owls were outscored 20-8 in the paint and 11-3 in second chance points.
• The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point went 2-0 at the event, defeating Grinnell 67-48 yesterday and Suffolk University 57-43 following KSC’s game tonight.
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